St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-06
NONE BUT NATIVES.
THE NEW "AMERICAN' PARTY
STARTED IN CALIFORNIA.
1t Has Already Held its Convention and a
Parade-The Platform Similar to That of
the Old KnowNOthing Organization
Compulsory Voting the New Departure.

A Parade-The Platform Similar to That @
the Old Know-Nothing Organization
Compulsory Voting the New Departure
$ The wires bring the news from the
t Pacific coast that at San Francisco new
. "American" party has been organized
+ The new party has already had a con
vention, mass-meeting, parade, fire
works, platform, ETC., etc. The platform
J adopted savors very much of that of the
, Old know-Nothing party of 1S52-57. A
, repeal of the old naturalization laws is
called for, likewise a modification of the
2 immigration laws tending to exclude
foreign pauper labor" and prohibition of
, alien land-holding. Like the old Know
: Nothing party, this new one has revived
the bugbear between church and state
One new feature is noticeable-a de-
mand for law making voting COM
pulsory.
Apropos of this movement it may be
well to recall the prominent features of
antl-allen agitation since the beginning
Of the republic. The first naturaliza-
tlon law was passed in 1893, and made
the requirements then as now five years.
residence. In 1897, under President
Adams, the time was raised to fourteen
years The notorious alien and sedi-
tlon laws were passed, soon to be fol-
lowed in Kentucky and Virginia by the
famous resolutions of 1898 and 1799 The
opposition to these laws of Jefferson's
party brought the mass of the natural
lied population to the Democratic fold,
where it has remained ever since The
Federalists did not seem to care for the
foreign voter at all, for at the famous
Hartford convention they emphasized
| the previous action of their party by
! calling for stricter naturalization laws
The first consistent attempt to rule out
the immigrant was made in New York city
in 1885, and was soon followed in the
little towns of New Jersey and in Phila-
delphla. The movement arose out of
the victory of the Democrats in the
municipal elections and their immediate
seizure Of all the offices. The anti-alien
party, however, disappeared without any
success after 1887 In 1912 new one was
organized, which was succeeded in 1914 by
secret order, though the latter it must
be said. did not act politically any further
than by supporting those of it's members
who were put up by either of the two
great parties. This rendered elections
very uncertain things, because large
vote would be thrown in favor of this or
that candidate if he were a member of
the Sons of Columbia or the Sons of |
America, or the Order of the Star Span
gled Banner, etc.
In Philadelphia and Boston the anti |
foreign movement narrowed down into
an anti-lrish or antiCatholic party.
Riots between these and the Irish dis
graced the streets of Philadelphia and of
Boston for long time. Then there was
a lull. Meantime great hosts of immi-
grants were leaving all countries of
Europe for the New World. This
was for the most part during the
revolutionary year of 1S4S. A great many
of those coming over were men whose
politics drove them from home. They
took an active interest in
the domestic affairs of their adopted
country. Very many Irish Catholics
came over in that year. Socialism
was first introduced by the Free
Germans" about that time Popular
prejudice against the political infu-
ence of foreign-born citizens caused
a new Native party to rise out of the
ruins of the previous ones. The new party
was secret order, consisting of three de-
yrees, and only until members had
reached the third or union degree did |
hey know anything about the real aims
md purposes of their leaders. To ques-
ions they replied, eve know nothing"
whence the nickname. In 1859 the party
vas organized and in 1868 was in thor :
ugh working order. 1t gained a good s
many local successes in Boston, Balti- 7
more, Philadelphia, San Francisco and .
aew Orleans. In the State elections of t
s55 it carried almost all the Eastern 7
md Middle States, and was defeated a
y slight majorities in some South il
rn and Western. 1t was believed U
's AAhOW-A%oGuluSiSm naO come :
D stay, but Horace Greeley knew better v
7hen he said ut had no more elements of y
existence than an anti-potato-rot or a
party would have" The a
vents OF 1856 confirmed his words. In c.
le presidential race Fillmore and Don e
son, the Nativist candidates, carried i
NY maryland. After that the party u
ans, and only in few States or in few "
OWNS was any attempt made to act "
'gether. Notably in Baltimore the
,ganlzatlon re mained until year
,fore the outbreak of the war, when it ic
as as absorbed by the Constitutional II t.
MON party. d
1t is needless to say anything about the &c &c
of outrages during Know. in
othlng times; the memory Of them is ST
Ill fresh in the minds of the older por- be
ons OF the community. With regard le
the new party, it is only to be hoped ST. ST.
w -